I was hoping some of you Sako experts (Harry and Stonecreek you guys seem to know a bunch) could help here.

Is a L61R action with serial number in the 19,000 range likely to be a pre-Garcia (pre-72) gun?

As a follow up, hoping that the above is a pre-72, where roughly is the cut-off, in terms or serial #, on the long action L61Rs.

Sincere thanks!!

Bob

Ser #'s for Pre 1972 Sako rifles.
Small actions: 1 thru 110,000
Med. actions: Same as above
Large actions: 1 thru approx 65,000.
Exception to all rules.
On large action...L61 R ...if it has the 3 locking lug just in front of the bolt handle it is considered a Pre 1972 and I don't care what name is or is not stamped under the bbl.

Harry -

Thanks!!!!!!!!

It looks like mine is definitely a pre-72 then. It has the third lug and a 19,000 range #. Barrel is marked Bofors also. I was pretty sure it was when I looked at it in the shop, and had to make a snap decision as the owner just took it on trade and said he had a couple of guys coming in to look at in the afternoon, and I knew he was not trying to scam me. I think I did pretty well on this deal too, it is a solid 95ish percent gun, looks like it has barely been used, and I paid $500 for it.

By the way, what is the consensus/opinon on the Bofors bbls? Just how good are they in your opinion? Are they button rifled or hammer forged?

Sorry for the questions, but I am eager to learn more about these. Hope to shoot it this weekend. Its a 7mm rem mag by the way.

Bob

All Sako bbls are cold hammer forged.
Bofors is good. Finland had no steel mills so it bought steel from Bofors in Sweden. There was Bofors steel at the factory in '72 but I do not know of any bbls. marked Bofors past 1968.
You have a nice toy...go forth and enjoy!

[ 03-29-2003, 00:22: Message edited by: Harry ]

Harry, I had another thought on the Bofors barrels. Several years ago, I owned a Colt Coltsman L 61R. The barreled action (and maybe the stock, also) was, of course, pure Sako. It was definately made during the Bofors period, but I can't recall if the barrel was so stamped.

Do you know if any of the Bofors barrels made by Sako for other brands were stamped "Bofors"? I think that my Browning Safari .243 is a 1967 model, but it is not stamped Bofors.

I corrected the post...it was '68.
If you toured the factory you would see the hammer forge bbl. making machines. Same ones they have used forever. They have been photoed and shown in some articles about Sako and the factory.
I do not recall seeing the Bofors stamp on any rifles other than Sako. Sako sold actions but the bbls. etc. for folks like Colt and others most likely from a firm called Jefferson Arms in those days.

Guys,

I am glad I "have" you here as you both seem to be well experienced with these guns.

So, now I have to get some scope mounts I realize. What type do you like? I was looking at Conetrol & S&K which seem to be firly nice. I spoke with a fellow at S&K today about them to get more info. He said that they do not use any screws to hold the bases, they rely purely on a close press fit. I don't know if I can buy that or not. I keep imagining bumping a tree or something and the whole rig just popping off. You guys have any experience with either of these? Any opinions appreciated!

By the way is it pronounced "sock-o" or "say-ko", I have heard both?

Regards,

Bob

Finns pronounce it Sock O...like what you wear on your feet.
I have always used Sako rings or Redfield or Leupold.

Harry or Stonecreek:

I have an L61R in .338WinMag that has a serial number of 59962. According to the post above, that would make it pre-'72..it says Garcia stamped on the barrel somewhere..so I guess pre-'72 doesn't mean pre-Garcia?

On a side note, I also have two L61R's in '06 and .375H&H that I love to shoot...but their serial #'s are up somewhere in the 515xxx and 523xxx range..obviously made well after '72. Considering how much I like these two rifles, I was suprised to read how much more desireable the pre '72's are.

David

As Harry says, there are exceptions to the rules, and with Sako serial numbers, I've found the exceptions to be frequent. The bulk of the L61R's I've seen in pre-72 (pre-Garcia) are below 20,000. In fact, all of mine and those of my shooting friend's are four digit numbers or in the teens. So I'm confident that your Garcia is also post-72. If it has a three-lug bolt, then it is made on an action produced before the Garcia takeover.

There's nothing "wrong" with Garcia's. My son has one in .30-06, and he pretty much refuses to shoot anything else. But its weight is more appropriate to a .338 or similar caliber -- that's may main, if you'll pardon the expression, "beef" with the Garcia's (and later).

Actually, though it's rare, I've seen some abysmal checkering jobs on early Sakos, but never a bad one on a Garcia. Wood is always the luck of the draw, but it is at least as good on the Garcias. The bluing on the Garcia standard grades was not as bright as on the pre-Garcias, but on the Deluxe, it was fully the equal. In so far as accuracy, all I can say is that my son's '06 is as good as any similar caliber I have in a pre-Garcia.

Thanks for the reply, Stonecreek. I was given my '06 Finnbear when I was 16, and have never had the desire to use anything else, so I know how your son feels. Within the past year, I started looking around for some different calibers and now have the .338 as well as the .375. When I started learning more about the Finnbear rifles, I discovered that some are more "valuable" than others.
The 3 that I have all seem to be post '72, but I don't mind. I agree they are a little on the heavy side, but since it's what I started with I never knew the difference and certainly don't mind.
Anyway, thanks for the info. I'm going to look around for a .270 and a .300winmag, then I'll have a nice little collection.

Dave

That would be my assumption. The 70,000's seems pretty high for a three lug action to still be around, but who knows how things went at the factory after the two-lug changeover. At any rate, if it's stamped Garcia, then it's definately a Garcia.

I'm would assume that the magazine release is a plunger style rather than the earlier lever machined into a trigger guard recess?

Maybe Harry could shed some light on this?

[ 04-08-2003, 22:46: Message edited by: Stonecreek ]